The Twins’ experiment with closing most upper-level seats for most of April is nearing an end, and while some worried about spendier seats, fans said prices have been decent and it was more fun than being in a mostly empty section.
“I do think it’s a good idea where everybody’s down lower, as long as the prices are reasonable,” said Bobbi Chavez of Albertville, Minn. She decided to go to the game Sunday morning and found $16 tickets at the last minute.
Matt Hodson, a spokesperson for the Twins, said the decision to keep the top levels closed this April was meant to make early-season games more fun for the people who do go. With iffy weather and school still in session, Hodson said April games typically draw 13,000 to 20,000 people — barely half of Target Field’s capacity. It’s been this way for more than a decade, he said, after the excitement over the new stadium wore off in about 2012. Sunday’s game drew only 17,757.
He said the concerts after games last year inspired the decision to close the upper level. At those concerts, everyone flowed into the lower levels, Hodson said, and it felt a little more lively. “Everybody liked being near each other,” he said.
Sitting in a fuller section felt better at a less-attended game, fans said.
“It’s one thing to limit seats if the demand is there,” said Mike Jechorek of Brooklyn Park, “but it’s better than having two fans in every other section.”
Hodson said the Twins use “dynamic pricing” to adjust the price of games based on demand — meaning it’s not necessarily more expensive to sit on the lower level this time of year. There are lower seats for some April games that will be cheaper than those same seats for summer games, he said.
And had demand for any April game been strong, he said, some upper-level sections would be opened.
